Improvement in machinery for crimping boot and shoe uppers



A. uownuu] Machinery for Crimping Boot and Shoe uppers. N0. 142,402, PatentedSeptember2fl873.

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ALBION KNOWLTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO KNOWL- TON & JAMES, or SAME PLACE.

'lMPROVEMENT IN MACHINERY FOR CRIMPING BOOT AND SHOE UPPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,402, dated Septunber 2, 1e73, application filed June 7, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ALBION KNOWLTON, of Boston, Suffolk county, Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machinery for Crimping Boot or Shoe Uppers, of which the following is a specification:

' This invention relates to means for expedihand, at the expense of much time and labor,

the upper being subsequently removed from the machine and secured by means of nails or crimping-irons to a form-plate, upon which it remains until dry or set, the machine merely adapting the upper, to some extent, to the shape of the block or form (to which it is subsequently applied) by bending such upper into a triangular form.

My present invention is intended not only to economize the time and labor formerly involved in the operation, but to crimp an upper more perfectly, and into forms which would be very difiicult of accomplishment under the old system.

The drawings accompanying this specification represent, in Figure 1, a perspective view; and Fig. 2, a cross-section of my invention, Fig. 3 being aface view of the shaping or pattern plate or former making part of such invention.

In carrying my invention into practice in the manufacture of womens work I rovide space intervening between them. I line or pad the. inner faces of these bars A A with a suitable elastic cushion, 0, applied in any proper manner. I next provide a metallic former or shaping-plate, D, the lower edge of which is fashioned into thev curved outline which it is desired to impart to the rear or heel portion of the boot-upper, or as shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings. The two bars constitute a variable pressure guide, the degree of pressure of which is governed by the bolts B B, and by which the implement is adapted to varying sizes or thicknesses of uppers.

In practice, I provide such a number of the clamps as the necessities of a given establishment require, the intention being to provide a number sufficient to crimp all the uppers in any one establishment during a given day. Owing to the thorough manner in which the water is expressed from the upper by passing the latter between the elastic cushions of the clamps, the number of clamps may be very much less than the number of the uppers to be crimped in any one day.

In operating with the implement I fold the boot-upper or the quarter thereof in the center, and insert within the fold the metallic plate D beforenamed, with the curved orirregular edge of the latter next the leather. I next insert the combined quarter and plate, with the fold downward, between the bars A A, or the clastic pads with which they are lined, and then introduce the whole to a table provided with,

a bar suspended at some distance above it, and operated by a treadle in such manner that the workman, by depressing the treadle, forces the folded leather and pattern-plate between the said cushions until the fold emerges to a greater or less extent below the bars A A. The v Under my system the crimping of boot or shoe uppers is eii'ected in a much shorter time and more perfect manner than heretofore. I avoid theinconvenience, labor, and time of securing the upper to a form after removing itfrom the machine, and also effect an important saving in the costof these forms, which soon wear out if nails are employed; or it'crimping-irons are employed I save the cost of the same. i

The action of the elastic pads is similar to the manipulations of the human hands, but results in very much less time, and the water is expressed so completely from the leather that the latter dries in a comparatively short time.

It will be understood that my invention is distinct from a machine for orimping' tha-t is to say, an organized mechanism from which, after the operation of crimping, the leather is removed and then applied to suitable forms. Thedevices employed by me constitute acrimping-clamp made cheaply, of little weight, and designed to beusod to hold the crimped leather until the same is set. One of such clamps being employed to thus shape and hold each crimped upper and quarter, many of them are necessarily required in order to perform the crimping in a large establishment. They are therefore made in the simplest possible manner, so that, after having been put in the press, they can be I'BIIIOYQd. and set aside to allow the leather held by them to dry and set.

I claim, therefore, as my invention- The herein-described crimping implement or clamp, consisting of the parallel wooden bars A, united by pressure,and adjusting-bolts B, one at each end of the bars, and provided on their contiguous faces, between said bolts, with pressure-pads U, the whole constructed and arranged as shown and set forth, and adapted for use with a former or shaping-plate, D, of any suitable configuration, as specified.

A. KNOWLTON.

\Vitnesses:

F. CURTIS, LOUIS A. CURTIS. 

